Referendum on Supervisor Pay Raise

I read on Matt Rexroad's blog that there is a referendum in the works sponsored by the Yolo County Taxpayer' Association to rescind the Supervisor’s pay increase. I assume what they would rescind is the formula change from 33% of Judge’s pay to 40%.

That is a shocking development precisely because little of this actually impacts the average taxpayer. We are talking about a roughly $7000 difference in pay per person in the new system versus the old system. For the five members of the County Supervisors that comes to roughly $35,000 per year total cost to the Yolo County taxpayer. Yolo County has roughly 185,000 people, so that works out to around 19 cents per person per year.

Yes, I know there are principles involved, but there is also a level of absurdity involved as well.

First, there is the election cost to the taxpayer. I will have to find out what this process will cost the taxpayers, but it would not surprise me if it amounted to close to one year's worth of the board's pay raise. So you cost the taxpayers more money in order to save them money.

But, the bigger folly is that let's say each of the individuals involved in the Yolo County Taxpayers' Association donates $100 in contribution for this measure passing. Well that's more than they would ever spend on the pay increase.

Oh yeah, did I mention it was the principle?

It would seem to me a lot better show of principle to simply at the next election run candidates who will rescind the pay increase. That way, the taxpayers of Yolo do not have pay for another ballot measure.

How's that for principle?

---Doug Paul Davis reporting